Contents

History

In 40 AG, the Fire Nation executed the first of a series of raids with the goal of eliminating all the benders in the Southern Water Tribe. Hama and many other waterbenders valiantly battled the Fire Nation despite their waning numbers. During one of the first battles, they managed to completely strand a Fire Nation ship and suspend it through the use of waterbending.[3]

The shipwreck became a relic to the citizens of the Southern Tribe, symbolizing the damaging raids long after they ceased, prior to the last raid carried out by the Southern Raiders. According to Katara, it is a haunting and evocative vestige and a reminder of the tragic occurrences. Residents are strictly forbidden from venturing onto the shipwreck either out of fear of setting off tripwires or because of the horrible memories it brings.[1]

Katara and Aang unexpectedly found themselves at the site of the ruined shipwreck after penguin sledding. Despite Katara's warnings that the ship could be booby-trapped, Aang persuaded her to follow him onto the wreckage. Their wandering eventually led Aang to unexpectedly set off a booby trap, accidentally firing a flare. Their actions consequently caught the attention of PrinceZuko, who used the signal to pinpoint the Avatar's hiding place as the Southern Water Tribe.[1]

Design

The shipwreck appears to be an average-sized naval vessel commonly employed by the Fire Nation and, like all other warships, advanced metallurgy is used. The ship possesses a releasable bow at the front which is characteristically similar in structure to real world icebreaker ships. The compartments below the deck of the shipwreck served as storage areas for a variety of different weapons. Various traps and tripwires are secretly situated throughout the ship, making it quite notorious and perilous to venture onto. Activating tripwires fuels the ship and puts seemingly stationary engines into gear. In Aang and Katara's case, setting off a tripwire resulted in the release of a flare, alerting Zuko to the Avatar's presence.[1]

Trivia

Katara claimed that the ship had haunted her tribe since her grandmother, Kanna, was a little girl. However, Hama's flashback revealed that Kanna was a young adult at the time of the Fire Nation's first raids.[3]

In concept art for the shipwreck, the Southern Raiders' flag is absent.